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12-03-13 4:33 PM

Tom arban

guillaume léVesque

maris mezulis

38 Kuwabara Payne mCKenna blumberg arChiTeCTs

36 rdh arChiTeCTs inC. omb/jean-PhiliPPe delage

shai gil

5468796 arChiTeCTure

32 rdh arChiTeCTs inC.

44 5468796 arChiTeCTure

46 offiCe of mCfarlane biggar arChiTeCTs + designers inC (CommenCed as mCfarlane | green | biggar arChiTeCTure + design inC.)

19 2012 gOVernOr general’s awards

cOVer

CONTACT 2012 Photography Festival in Toronto; 2012 RAIC Festival of Architecture in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

54 Backpage

The NaTioNal Review of DesigN aND PRacTice/ The JouRNal of RecoRD of aRchiTecTuRe caNaDa | Raic

Copenhagen-based BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group leads design of mixed-use tower in Vancouver; Recovering the Past to Create a More Sustainable Future—a summer program in Italy sponsored by the RAIC and the Department of Architecture at the University of Ferrara.

53 calendar

may 2012, V.57 n.05

48 PaTKau arChiTeCTs inC.

11 news

a surPrisingly diVerse range of ProjeCT TyPes CharaCTerized This year’s jury seleCTions, widening The sCoPe of whaT ConsTiTuTes meaningful arChiTeCTure.

The aTrium of Vaughan CiTy hall by Kuwabara Payne mCKenna blumberg arChiTeCTs. PhoTo by maris mezulis.

28 maKi and assoCiaTes | moriyama & Teshima arChiTeCTs

james dow

30 shim-suTCliffe arChiTeCTs

40 KongaTs arChiTeCTs

24 guillaume léVesque, arChiTeCTe & emergenCy arChiTeCTs Canada

22 daousT lesTage inC. arChiTeCTure design urbain Tom arban

20 maCKay-lyons sweeTaPPle arChiTeCTs

Tom arban

greg riChardson

marC Cramer

cOntents

Alessia Soppelsa describes the studio-led investigations into Brutalist concrete structures in Toronto. 05/12 canadian architect

Ian ChodIkoff

viEwpoint

Editor Ian ChodIkoff, OAA, FRAIC AssociAtEEditor LesLIe Jen, MRAIC EditoriAlAdvisors John MCMInn, AADIpl. MarCo PoLo, OAA, FRAIC contributingEditors GavIn affLeCk, OAQ, MRAIC herbert enns, MAA, MRAIC douGLas MaCLeod, nCARb rEgionAlcorrEspondEnts halifax ChrIstIne MaCy, OAA regina bernard fLaMan, SAA montreal davId theodore calgary davId a. down, AAA Winnipeg herbert enns, MAA vancouver adeLe weder publishEr toM arkeLL 416-510-6806

aLthouGh It kePt attendees traPPed InsIde a ConferenCe hoteL hIGh uP In the beautIfuL roCky MountaIns for two days, the 2012 banff sessIon was a rewardInG oPPortunIty to Meet aLberta arChIteCts and to dIsCuss Issues of ProfessIonaL sIGnIfICanCe wIth theM. AbovE

Perhaps it is a sign of the times that the motiva tion to collect continuing education credits seems to have overshadowed the original purpose of attending architectural conferences like the Banff Session. The commoditization of architec tural ideas seems to have invariably extended to the speakers themselves who adhere to their trusted digital slide presentations as they travel from city to city espousing the wellscripted vir tues of their work with machinelike precision. Held in the majestic Alberta town after which it is named, the Banff Session—expressed in the singular—has its own particular history that began in 1955 at the Banff School of Arts, and which was intended for architects to spend a few days to “live communally and without other dis tractions.” In 1956, Richard Neutra delivered a series of lectures over the course of an entire week to a group of 38 architects. In 1984, Ricardo Bofill and Peter Eisenman famously debated each other in a heated discussion—sparked by a com ment made by Michael Graves at the Banff Session the year before. Over the decades, orga nizers have made considerable efforts to invite the most engaging architects around the world to make the journey up to this mountain retreat and talk about their work and design philosophy. As the profession of architecture has evolved, so too has the energy and intensity of the Banff Session, which is now held for just a couple of days every two years. But in 2012, with crisp cellphone re ception widely available despite the surrounding Rocky Mountains, one would be hardpressed to find even a handful of architects capable of dedi cating their undivided attention to the discussion of lofty architectural ideas. The theme of this year’s Banff Session was “Cultural Context”—a term that is as broad as they come. Held in conjunction with the Alberta 8 cAnAdiAnArchitEct 05/12

Association of Architects’ annual conference, over 550 registrants descended upon the Banff Springs Hotel for two days of courses, croissants and coffee. Although the Session was essentially embedded within a provincial architectural con ference chock full of professional development courses, the list of keynote speakers from Europe and the US remained impressive: Anna Herrin ger, Craig Dykers, Kim Herforth Nielsen, Lauren Rottet, and Lorcan O’Herlihy. Nevertheless, it was disappointing to listen to the careful and articulate—if somewhat formu laic—keynote presentations of speakers who have delivered virtually identical lectures before. Yet who can blame these accomplished worldweary individuals for being so reluctant to reveal too much about their working methodologies? More over, today’s architectural audience yearns for easily digestible sound bites that tend to favour aesthetics and pragmatics over a greater philo sophical purpose. For these reasons, it is unfor tunate but perhaps a reality of contemporary practice that the celebrated architects of today have fewer opportunities to open themselves up to candid debates with their professional colleagues. Despite the fact that Banff Session organizers made provision for more informal breakout sessions, a more meaningful discussion failed to materialize. The focus of the Banff Session has inexorably shifted to the pragmatic aspects of practice. Again, this may be yet another sign of the times, but it is a pity that the “cultural context” of the Banff Session has been somewhat reduced to the banality of an architectural conference like any other—souvenirs of moccasins, key chains and ammolite jewelry excepted. Ian ChodIkoff

ichodikoff@cAnAdiAnArchitEct.coM

AssociAtEpublishEr GreG PaLIouras 416-510-6808 circulAtionMAnAgEr beata oLeChnowICz 416-442-5600 ext. 3543 custoMErsErvicE MaLkIt Chana 416-442-5600 ext. 3539 production JessICa Jubb grAphicdEsign sue wILLIaMson vicEprEsidEntofcAnAdiAnpublishing aLex PaPanou prEsidEntofbusinEssinforMAtiongroup bruCe CreIGhton hEAdofficE 80 vaLLeybrook drIve, toronto, on M3b 2s9 telephone 416-510-6845 facsimile 416-510-5140 e-mail editors@canadianarchitect.com Web site www.canadianarchitect.com Canadian architect is published monthly by bIG Magazines LP, a div. of Glacier bIG holdings Company Ltd., a leading Canadian information company with interests in daily and community newspapers and business-tobusiness information services. the editors have made every reasonable effort to provide accurate and authoritative information, but they assume no liability for the accuracy or completeness of the text, or its fitness for any particular purpose. subscription rates Canada: $54.95 plus applicable taxes for one year; $87.95 plus applicable taxes for two years (hst – #809751274rt0001). Price per single copy: $6.95. students (prepaid with student Id, includes taxes): $34.97 for one year. usa: $105.95 us for one year. all other foreign: $125.95 us per year. single copy us and foreign: $10.00 us. return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation dept., Canadian architect, 80 valleybrook dr, toronto, on Canada M3b 2s9. Postmaster: please forward forms 29b and 67b to 80 valleybrook dr, toronto, on Canada M3b 2s9. Printed in Canada. all rights reserved. the contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner. from time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: telephone 1-800-668-2374 facsimile 416-442-2191 e-mail privacyofficer@businessinformationgroup.ca mail Privacy officer, business Information Group, 80 valleybrook dr, toronto, on Canada M3b 2s9 member of the canadian business press member of the audit bureau of circulations publications mail agreement #40069240 issn 1923-3353 (online) issn 0008-2872 (print)

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news Projects BiG contributes mixed-use tower to Vancouver skyline.

Called Beach and Howe, the 490-foot-tall mixed-use tower by BIG + Westbank + Dialog + Cobalt + PFS + Buro Happold + Glotman Simpson and local architect James Cheng will mark the entry point to downtown Vancouver, forming a welcoming gateway to the city while adding another unique structure to the Vancouver skyline. The development calls for 600 residential units occupying the 49-storey tower, which would become one of the city’s tallest buildings. The tower is situated on a nine-storey podium base offering market-rental housing with a mix of commercial and retail space. BIG was commissioned by Canadian real estate developer Westbank, a company established in 1992 with over $10 billion of projects completed or under development, including the Shangri-La luxury hotels in Vancouver and Toronto. “Architecturally, the Beach and Howe tower will introduce a new building typology to the Vancouver skyline and will create a dramatic gateway to downtown Vancouver that speaks to the emerging creative economy in the city,” said Ian Gillespie, President of Westbank. The tower takes its shape after the site’s complex urban conditions aiming to optimize the conditions for its future inhabitants in the air as well as at street level. At its base, the footprint of the tower is conditioned by concerns for two significant neighbouring elements, including a 30metre setback from the Granville Bridge which ensures that no residents will have windows and balconies in the middle of heavy traffic. Additionally, concerns for sunlight reaching an adjacent park limits how far south the building can be constructed. Consequently, the building footprint is restricted to a small triangle. As the tower ascends, it clears the noise, exhaust, and visual invasion of the Granville Bridge. BIG’s design reclaims the lost area as the tower clears the zone of influence of the bridge, gradually cantilevering over the site. This movement turns the inefficient triangle into an optimal rectangular floor plate, increasing the desirable spaces for living at its top, while freeing up a generous public space at its base. The resultant silhouette has a unique appearance that changes from every angle and resembles a curtain being drawn aside, welcoming people as they enter the city from the bridge. The courtyards created by the building volumes, roofs and terraces are all designed to enhance views from the Granville Bridge and the residential units above. The canted, triangular clusters of green roofs create a highly graphic and iconic gateway to and from the downtown core, reinforcing the City of Vancouver’s focus on sustainable cities.

awards Lola sheppard wins 2012 raic Young architect award.

Architecture Canada | RAIC has announced that it has selected Lola Sheppard as the recipient of its 2012 Young Architect Award. Sheppard received her Bachelor of Architecture from McGill University and her Master of Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. She practiced in Europe for six years, most notably at Jean Nouvel in Paris, and in 2003 became the founding partner of Lateral Office, a Toronto design firm that operates at the intersection of architecture, urbanism and landscape architecture. Her interest lies with the relationship between architecture and nature, and architecture’s capacity to sustain local ecosystems and cultures in extreme environments such as the Canadian north. A champion of innovation, she

TheuniqueformofTheBeachand howeTowerindownTownVancouVerisTheresulTofacollaBoraTiVe efforTledBycopenhagen-BasedarchiTecTurefirmBig.

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is one of the founding directors of InfraNet Lab, a design research laboratory dedicated to examining the role infrastructures and networks play in our built environment. She inspires a new generation of architects in her role as Associate Professor at University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture and as a visiting critic at schools across Canada and the US. In choosing Lola Sheppard, the jury noted that her “work is contributing to larger societal concerns, going well beyond the bounds of traditional architectural practice.” Architecture Canada’s Young Architect Award recognizes the achievements of a young architect in excellence in design, leadership and/ 05/12canadian architect

or service to the profession. It is intended that this award will inspire other young architects to become licensed and to strive for excellence in their work. www.raic.org/honours_and_awards/awards_young/ 2012/recipient_e.htm University of British columbia in the okanagan receives five Green Globes.

Kasian, a global architecture, design and planning firm, is pleased to announce that the Charles E. Fipke Centre for Innovative Research (Fipke Centre) and the adjacent Arts & Sciences Building, located at the Okanagan campus of the University of British Columbia (UBCO), have both been awarded five Green Globes. These are the first campus buildings in the world to each receive five Green Globes and are also the first paired buildings to attain this distinction. Both buildings are designed by Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd, in collaboration with the UBC Properties Trust. Green Globes is a revolutionary online auditing tool designed to acknowledge buildings that improve environmental performance with regard to management, site, energy, water, resources, emissions and indoor environment. Developed in Canada and administered by the Building Owners and Man-

agers Association (BOMA), the Green Globes program has been adopted throughout North America and is based on a graduated rating system, ranging from one to five Green Globes. An evaluation of five Green Globes is reserved for select building designs which serve as national or world leaders in energy and environmental performance. The three-storey 6,579-square-metre Fipke Centre and the four-storey 7,950-squaremetre Arts & Sciences Building both contain laboratories, classrooms, student commons and offices to support a wide variety of innovative research projects. The Arts & Sciences Building also includes a theatre and an animal care facility. Creating an energy-efficient building that houses one or more laboratories poses significant challenges. On average, a laboratory consumes five to 10 times more energy per square foot than an average office building. The project team for both facilities successfully adopted a holistic “whole building” approach to the design, using Building Information Modelling (BIM). This permits each building to be viewed as an interdependent system, rather than an accumulation of separate components. Recent analysis of energy consumption data from the Fipke Centre indicates that the building is 46 per cent more energy-efficient than a standard reference build-

ing that meets the requirements of the Model National Energy Code for Buildings (MNECB). royal conservatory’s teLUs centre for Performance and Learning wins international urban planning and design award.

The Royal Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning is the only North American building to win a 2012 Civic Trust Award, recognizing the best in planning, urban design, and public arts. The award is given to projects making an outstanding contribution to the quality of the environment, demonstrating excellence in architecture, design and sustainability, and to the positive cultural, environmental or economic benefit to the local community. Based in the United Kingdom and established in 1959, the Civic Trust Awards are bestowed annually, recognizing outstanding architecture, planning, and design in the built environment. This year’s awards shortlisted 52 entries, the majority hailing from the UK. Awards are presented for buildings and schemes of architectural excellence that improve their surrounding community. Each entry is judged by an assessment team including architect and design advisors as well as local representatives. The Royal Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning was conceived by

Marianne McKenna, founding partner of Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects in 1989. Completed 20 years later, its stunning centrepiece, the acoustically perfect Koerner Hall, has established itself among North America’s leading concert venues, attracting internationally celebrated classical, jazz, pop, and world music artists. The TELUS Centre also houses 60 professionally equipped practice studios for students and faculty, a technology and new media lab, and a comprehensive music library. The Royal Conservatory renewal project has earned national and international recognition with prestigious architectural awards including the 2011 American Institute of Architects/CAE Educational Facility Design Award of Excellence, the 2010 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture, and the 2010 Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award. www.rcmusic.ca

comPetitions Gladstone hotel’s come Up to my room 2013 call for submissions.

The Gladstone Hotel seeks Expressions of Interest for innovative, cutting-edge, contemporary design and installation-based projects for the annual alternative design event, Come Up To My

Room (CUTMR). The 10th installment of CUTMR will take place from January 24 to 27, 2013 at the historic Gladstone Hotel in downtown Toronto, and coincides with the Toronto International Design Festival and the Interior Design Show. Expect 25 installations, 40 artists, and 4,000 visitors in the space of four days. As this is an important anniversary for this ever-expanding show, the 10th installment will emphasize the idea that formed the basis for the very first CUTMR—occupying and altering a space in a dramatic, conceptual, or experimental way. Special consideration will be given to submissions that push the limits of the Gladstone site further than ever, including the extension of site-specific installations outside the hotel and into the surrounding neighbourhood. Site-specific work will be mounted in the rooms and public spaces in the second-floor Gladstone Gallery and in the ground-floor spaces of the hotel. Ideal candidates for juried consideration are practitioners who approach their discipline with a radical personal vision, and who use design to converse, connect, collaborate and construct delight in the unexpected. There are two ways to participate in Come Up To My Room 2013. First, an immersive room installation in which participants will create new work that is site-specific and installa-

tion-based, and secondly, a site-specific public space project in which participants will create functional lighting, seating, wall-based projects, or a functional bar, DJ table, or CUTMR ticket desk. Participants can also propose installation and performance-based work for public spaces in the hotel. Please submit hard-copy or electronic submissions (MS-Word documents or PDF files only) no later than June 7, 2012. www.gladstonehotel.com/wp-content/uploads/ CUTMR2013CallforSubmissions1.pdf call for Proposals: artists, art Groups, designers, architects, Landscape architects and engineers.

The Port Credit BIA is seeking artists, art groups, architects, designers and/or engineers to submit proposals to temporarily transform an on-street parking space in the Mississauga neighbourhood of Port Credit into a public space this fall as part of the international event called Parking Day (September 21) and Culture Days 2012 (September 28-30). Up to four Parking Day installation proposals will be selected with a $500 prize awarded for each winning proposal and a budget of $7,500 for each winning team to design and construct the structure. Imaginative ideas are being sought to create a vibrant streetscape. The

SSORIES

05/12canadian architect

installations are intended to be both public art and street furniture and shall aesthetically enhance the overall streetscape, providing space for people in a place usually reserved for vehicular parking. The deadline for proposals is 12:00 noon on June 4, 2012. Winners will be announced on June 14, 2012. Detailed drawings must be completed by July 30, 2012, and the offsite construction period will run from September 12-18, 2012. Parking Day installations will be open from September 19-30, 2012. The City of Mississauga’s Culture Division is assisting the Port Credit BIA with this initiative. Please submit proposals electronically to cultural.planning@mississauga.ca. www.mississauga.ca/file/COM/parking_day.pdf

What’s NeW Recovering the Past to Create a More sustainable Future: unique summer program in Italy returns for 2012.

Sponsored by Architecture Canada | RAIC and the Department of Architecture at the University of Ferrara, Recovering the Past to Create a More Sustainable Future is offered from July 22-28, 2012. This unique professional development program is a great opportunity to visit, study and tour in Northern Italy. The course will merge projects focused on architectural conservation in

cultural environmental heritage with innovative projects focusing on sustainable strategies, renewable energy, techniques and economic features relating to energy-efficient design. It also examines historical applications, current issues, emerging technological advances and provides technical information on restoration and renewable energies. The cost of the program is $1,800 (double) or $2,000 (single), which covers the course, travel by private coach, and accommodations. Airfare, lunch and dinner are not included. Register today by e-mailing registration@raic.org. www.raic.org/notices/courses/2012/Program_RAIC_ 2012_v6_12Feb15.pdf architecture Canada | RaIC welcomes honorary Fellows during Festival of architecture.

Architecture Canada | RAIC is pleased to welcome three Honorary Fellows, who will participate in this year’s Festival of Architecture organized in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Architects. The Festival takes place June 13-16, 2012 in St. John’s and is themed “Deep Roots in a New Energy City.” Ted Cullinan, Hon. FRAIC, will anchor the Festival, speaking during the annual Fellows Convocation about his world-renowned firm Edward Cullinan Architects in London, England, and how its practice as a co-

operative offers an unusual flexibility to respond effectively to client demands. Acclaimed local artist Mary Pratt, Hon. FRAIC, will also be honoured. She is one of Canada’s most respected realist painters, known for her perceptive use of light; the images in her paintings take on realistic dimensions and resemble photographs. One of Canada’s most prominent painters and printmakers, Christopher Pratt C.C., Hon. FRAIC, will also be recognized for his very distinguished body of artistic works, grounded in place and regional context. His paintings have been exhibited nationally and internationally and explore many themes: landscapes, architecture, waterscapes, interior spaces and the human figure. The RAIC 2012 Fellows are: Gaye Kapkin, Dominic A. Lippa, Michel Bourassa, Jean-Pierre LeTourneux, Almas Mathieu, Jean-Luc Vadeboncoeur, Deborah Levine Farrow, Douglas Hardie, Edward J. Cuhaci, William Crompton, Jason Moriyama, Douglas Birkenshaw, David Hilaire Clusiau, Karen Cvornyek, R. Craig Goodman, Norman E. Grey-Noble, Roman Mychajlowycz, David Paul Penner, I. Hillel Roebuck, Peter Turner, Barrie J. Ottenbreit, Colin S. Reed, Rory Picklyk, Robert Adamson, Donna Marie Clare, Naomi Minja, Douglas S. Ramsey, Daniel H. Jenkins, Gordon C. Richards, Bo Helliwell, and Raymond J. Cole. http://festival.raic.org/index_e.htm

ISSuE 34.2 SuMMER 2012

Festival 2012 is calling everyone to the Rock 2012 Board Members

Registration is now open for the 2012 RAIC Festival of Architecture presented in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Architects, June 13-16, 2012 at the Delta St. John’s Hotel and Convention Centre.

President David Craddock, FRAIC 1st Vice-President and President-Elect Paul E. Frank, FRAIC

Availability of courses, events and companion packages is first-come, firstserved – so be sure to register soon.

2nd Vice-President and Treasurer Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC

2012 RAIC Gold Medal to present at Festival

Immediate Past President Stuart Howard, PP/FRAIC

Architecture Canada | RAIC is pleased to announce Peter Cardew, MRAIC, as its 2012 gold Medal recipient.

Regional Directors

The gold Medal Selection Committee in choosing Mr. Cardew noted “The quality The Bruneau Centre for Research and Innovation | St. John’s, NL | John Hearn Architect Inc. of his work is consistently high, consistentAs part of this recognition, Mr. Cardew will be speakly thoughtful, and timeless. ing at the Presidents’ Dinner & Awards Gala, June His commitment to the 15. fundamental importance of the ‘art’ of architecture is Three honourary Fellows to participate evident in the poetry of the Ted Cullinan, hon. FRAIC, will anchor the Festival forms of his projects and his speaking during the annual Fellows Convocation, June dedication to the broader 14, about his world renowned firm Edward Cullinan community and profession is Architects in London, England, and how its practice as demonstrated through his a co-operative offers an unusual flexibility to respond teaching and design review effectively to client demands. panel work. Peter Cardew is an Architect to be admired Acclaimed local artist Mary Pratt, hon. FRAIC, will and emulated.” also be honoured. She is one of Canada’s most respected realists, known for her perceptive use of light. Ms. Pratt will participate in Sketching Sessions being held June 15-16.

Don’t miss a unique ConEd opportunity in Ferrara, Italy

Architecture Canada | RAIC and the Department of Architecture at the university of Ferrara are offering the architectural course Recovering the Past to create a more Sustainable Future from July 22 to 28, 2012, in Northern Italy. This unique professional development program examines heritage and conservation architecture while providing 28.5 Structured/Core Hours. Cost: $1,800 (double) / $2,000 (single) includes: courses, travel by private coach, accommodations (with breakfast and free Wi-Fi). Airfare, lunch and dinner are not included.

One of Canada’s most prominent painters and printmakers, Christopher Pratt C.C., hon. FRAIC, will also be recognized for his very distinguished body of artistic works, grounded in place and regional context.

Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC (British Columbia/Yukon) Samuel Oboh, MRAIC (Alberta/NWT) Michael Cox, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) Leslie Klein, FRAIC (Ontario South and West) Allan Teramura, MRAIC (Ontario North and East/Nunavut) Jean-Pierre Pelletier, FIRAC (Quebec) Edmond Koch, FRAIC (Atlantic) Chancellor of College of Fellows Barry Johns , FRAIC Council of Canadian University Schools of Architecture (CCUSA) Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC Director Representing Interns and Intern Architects W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC Executive Director Jim McKee

Presenting the 2012 Young Architect Award recipient

Editor Sylvie Powell

Architecture Canada | RAIC is pleased to announce Lola Sheppard, oAQ, MRAIC, as the recipient of its 2012 young Architect Award.

Architecture Canada | RAIC 330-55 Murray St. Ottawa ON K1N 5M3 Tel.: 613-241-3600 Fax: 613-241-5750 E-mail: info@raic.org

She will also be presented her award during the Presidents’ Dinner & Awards Gala. See festival.raic.org to register for the Festival

www.raic.org

To register: registration@raic.org MASThEAD PhoTo: LANguAgE TECHNOLOgIES RESEARCH CENTRE AT uNIvERSITy OF QuEBEC IN OuTAOuAIS | MENKèS SHOONER DAgENAIS LETOuRNEux ARCHITECTS / FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITECTuRE + DESIgN | PHOTO: MICHEL BRuNELLE

Nu M é R O 3 4 . 2 éTé 2012

Le Festival 2012 vous invite à Terre-neuve Conseil d’administration de 2012 Président David Craddock, FRAIC Premier vice-président et président élu Paul E. Frank, FRAIC Deuxième vice-président et trésorier Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC Président sortant de charge Stuart Howard, PP/FRAIC Administrateurs régionaux Wayne De Angelis, FRAIC (Colombie-Britannique/Yukon) Samuel Oboh, MRAIC (Alberta/T.N.-O.) Michael Cox, MRAIC (Saskatchewan/Manitoba) Leslie Klein, FRAIC (Sud et Ouest de l’Ontario) Allan Teramura, MRAIC (Est et Nord de l’Ontario/Nunavut) Jean-Pierre Pelletier, FIRAC (Québec) Edmond Koch, FRAIC (Atlantique) Chancelier du Collège des fellows Barry Johns, FRAIC Conseil canadien des écoles universitaires d’architecture (CCÉUA) Kendra Schank Smith, MRAIC Conseiller représentant les stagiaires W. Steve Boulton, MRAIC Directeur général Jim McKee

L’inscription au Festival d’architecture 2012 de l’IRAC est maintenant ouverte. Le Festival, présenté en partenariat avec la Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Architects, aura lieu du 13 au 16 juin 2012 à l’hôtel et centre des congrès Delta St. John’s. Les places pour assister aux cours, les billets pour les diverses activités et les forfaits des conjoints sont attribués sur la base du premier arrivé premier servi. évitez les déceptions et inscrivez-vous rapidement !

Le Médaillé d’or de l’IRAC 2012 prendra la parole pendant le Festival Architecture Canada | IRAC a le plaisir d’annoncer que sa Médaille d’or 2012 est remise à Peter Cardew, MRAIC.

Le Centre de recherche et d’innovation Bruneau | St. John’s (T.-N.) | John Hearn Architect Inc.

En décidant de lui attribuer la Médaille d’or, le comité de sélection a souligné que « Peter Cardew se démarque par la qualité constante et l’intemporalité de son travail, de même que par le sérieux de sa réflexion. La poésie des formes de ses bâtiments révèle à quel point il est convaincu de l’importance fondamentale de “l’art” de l’architecture. M. Cardew démontre également un fort attachement à la communauté élargie et à la profession par son rôle d’enseignant et de critique d’ateliers de design. Il est un architecte digne d’admiration et un modèle. » M. Cardew prononcera une allocution le vendredi 15 juin pendant le dîner des présidents et gala de remise des prix.

Rédactrice en chef Sylvie Powell

Trois fellows honoraires participeront au Festival

Architecture Canada | IRAC 55, rue Murray, bureau 330 Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5M3 Tél. : 613-241-3600 Téléc. : 613-241-5750 Courriel : info@raic.org

Ted Cullinan, hon. FRAIC, prendra la parole le 14 juin, dans le cadre de la cérémonie d’intronisation des fellows 2012 de l’IRAC. Il parlera de l’approche de son bureau de réputation mondiale qui exerce sous forme de coopérative, ce qui lui offre une flexibilité inhabituelle pour répondre efficacement aux demandes des clients.

www.raic.org PhoTo En CARToUChE DE TITRE : CENTRE DE RECHERCHE EN TECHNOLOgIES LANgAgIèRES DE L’uNIvERSITé Du QuéBEC EN OuTAOuAIS | MENKèS SHOONER DAgENAIS LETOuRNEux ARCHITECTES / FORTIN CORRIvEAu SALvAIL ARCHITECTuRE + DESIgN | PHOTO : MICHEL BRuNELLE

Par ailleurs, l’artiste locale de renom Mary Pratt, hon. FRAIC, l’une des artistes réalistes les plus respectées qui est reconnue pour son utilisation perceptive de la lumière, participera aux ateliers de croquis qui auront lieu les 15 et 16 juin.

Enfin, l’un des peintres et graveurs les plus en vue du Canada, Christopher Pratt C.C., hon. FRAIC, sera honoré pour l’ensemble de son œuvre ancrée dans son milieu et son contexte régional.

Prix du jeune architecte 2012 Architecture Canada | IRAC a le plaisir d’annoncer qu’il décerne son Prix du jeune architecte 2012 à Lola Sheppard, oAQ, MRAIC. Mme Sheppard recevra sa médaille pendant le dîner des présidents et gala de remise des prix. Pour vous inscrire au Festival, voir le site festival.raic.org

Une occasion de formation continue extraordinaire à Ferrara Architecture Canada | IRAC et le département d’architecture de l’université de Ferrara offrent le cours Recovering the Past to create a more Sustainable Future de 22 au 28 juillet 2012, dans le nord de l’Italie. Ce cours de formation continue tout à fait unique porte sur l’architecture en lien avec le patrimoine et la conservation. Il donne droit à 28,5 heures de formation continue dirigée. Coût : 1 800 $ (en occupation double) / 2 000 $ (en occupation simple). Ce montant comprend l’inscription au cours, les déplacements en véhicule privé, l’hébergement (incluant le petit déjeuner et l’accès gratuit au Wi-Fi). Le transport aérien, les déjeuners et les dîners ne sont pas inclus. Pour s’inscrire : registration@raic.org

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4/12/12 12:08 PM

2012 governor general’s medal winners

Broad consensus a surprisingly diverse range of project types characterized this year’s jury selections, widening the scope of what con stitutes meaningful archi tecture.

5468796Architecture

The dozen projects receiving a 2012 Governor General’s Medal in Architecture include a broad spectrum of building types and approaches to design. A few of the awardwinning designs rep resent the aweinspiring tradition of craft and meticulous detail apparent in the residences of wealthy clients, while other medal recipients demonstrate an ability to assert bold statements relating to civic design, multifamily living, and the desire to mitigate the placeless qualities of our rapidly growing suburbs. One project in par ticular—the Mission Kitcisakik—draws special attention to the need for architects to be involved in improving the physical living conditions in First Nations communities, thereby expanding our role beyond mere purveyors of good design and embracing our capacity to serve as advocates for better communities. The Governor General’s Medals in Architecture are often used as a barometer to measure the state of architecture in Canada, but it is difficult for such an awards program to accurately reflect the wide diversity of building types and range of design processes to reach a singular consensus on what is top of mind for architecture firms today. Nevertheless, the awardwinning projects presented here certainly provide a brief overview of the many challenges currently facing our profession. This prestigious awards program celebrates outstanding completed buildings located any where in the world whose architects are ostensi bly based in Canada (the lead design architects must be licensed/registered architects who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada). The GGs, as they are informally known, continue the tradition of the Massey Medals that were established in 1950 and which sought to cel ebrate—and define—Canadian architecture and the regional and cultural forces that help shape our built environment. To be eligible, this year’s submissions must have been completed between January 1, 2004 and September 1, 2011. Up to 12

medals are awarded every two years. Architecture Canada | Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC), along with the RAIC College of Fellows, are responsible for the organization and admin istration of the competition while the Canada Council for the Arts selects and administers the peer assessment jury. The 2012 jury included Manon Asselin (founding partner of atelier TAG in Montreal and adjunct professor at the Université de Montréal School of Architecture), Joost Bakker (principal of DIALOG, Vancouver), Siamak Hariri (founding partner of Hariri Pontarini Architects, Toronto), Catherine Slessor (editor of The Architectural Review, London, UK), and Alejandro Villarreal (director of Hierve Diseñería, Mexico City and London, UK). Of the numerous buildings emerging from a strong social mandate, only three projects have received a Governor General’s Medal over the past decade. In 2002, ShimSutcliffe Architects received accolades for the Moorelands Camp Dining Hall on Lake Kawagama in Ontario (a non profit camp for underprivileged children) while in 2004, Henriquez Partners received a medal for the Lore Krill Housing Coop in Vancouver. The third recipient is to be found amidst this year’s selected winners. The Mission Kitcisakik project in Quebec is an outstanding example of a process intensive project with an incredible social man date in which the architect and client were able to enlist, train, and empower the local Native com munity in order to provide better housing for themselves. With 50 percent of Canada’s Aborigi nal population living in urban centres and many universities pursuing building projects focused on Aboriginal students and learning, the self affirmation of First Nations architecture will con tinue to be recognized in the foreseeable future. In recent years, the Governor General’s Medal in Architecture has frequently been awarded to architects who have produced exquisite object type buildings, and this year is no exception to that trend. Three projects—Linear House, Integral

House and Cliff House—were each recognized by the jury as beautiful objects in the landscape. To the dismay of some architects (cue eyerolling over exquisite homes for the wealthy), there will always be a place for houses such as these which represent laboratories for highlevel architectural experimentation. Additionally, the category of the rarefied building commission can certainly be ex tended to include the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat which has succeeded in raising the bar for quality of construction in Canada, making it a truly global building of the highest order. Simpler projects with modest construction budgets can be equally influential. 5468796 Ar chitecture’s Bloc_10, a typologically innovative multifamily project set in a suburban Winnipeg context, eschews frivolity and excess while deliv ering spatial complexity and unique design. The project demonstrates that innovation doesn’t have to come with a high price tag. Of special note is the quality of work being pro duced in the suburbs of the Greater Toronto Area. Projects in Mississauga, Newmarket and Vaughan represent a continuing trend of substantial in vestment in civic, educational and industrial buildings being completed outside of Toronto’s municipal boundaries. In addition to the rigorous implementation of sustainable design strategies contained within these projects is the fact that municipalities are no longer basing their deci sions solely on lowest construction cost but are instead choosing higherquality architecture with lower operating budgets over the long term. Appreciating highquality construction and in novative design, understanding the merits of a project’s lifecycle costs, and applying the skills of an architect to achieve a net social benefit and positive impact on disadvantaged communities are all present in this year’s selection of Governor General’s Medals in Architecture. We should be proud of our profession, and we look forward to seeing how these facets of architecture continue to be pursued in the future. ca 05/12canadian architect

governor general’s medal winner

cliff house

Cliff House, Nova sCotia MaCKay-lyoNs sweetapple arCHiteCts Photos GreG riCHardsoN Project

architect

This modest project is the first in a series of projects to be built on a large 455-acre property on the Nova Scotia Atlantic Coast. It acts as a didactic instrument intended to heighten the experience of dwelling in the landscape. Perched on the bedrock cliff, the pure and austere wood box “teaches” about the nature of its landscape through the creation of a sense of vertigo, floating above the sea. This strategy features the building’s fifth elevation—its belly. On approaching the cabin from land, one is presented with understated landscaping and a calm wood box firmly planted on the ground—in contrast to the subsequent dramatic interior experience of flying off the cliff. This efficient, 960-square-foot cabin functions as a rustic retreat. Intended as an affordable, high-amenity prototype on a pedestal, its main level contains a great room with a north cabinet wall and a compact service core behind. 20 canadian architect 05/12

The open loft acts as a sleeping perch. A large, south-facing deck on the cliff edge allows the great room to flow outward, and the cabin’s fenestration optimizes passive solar gains and views, both out to sea and along the coastline. The project’s rich spatial experience and dramatic landscape strategy is contrasted by its material frugality. This is a modest project with an extremely low budget. A galvanized superstructure anchors it to the cliff, while a light steel endoskeleton forms the primary structure expressed on the interior. The envelope is a simple and conventional taut-skinned platform-framed box. The “outsulation” strategy allows the conventional wood framing system to be expressed on the interior, avoiding the need for interior finishes and the problems typically associated with condensation in insulated wall cavities. An abstract modern effect is created by the cedar shiplap siding on a ventilated rain screen. In Atlantic Canada, a cool labile climate—characterized by constant wet/dry freeze/thaw cycles— results in a very high weathering rate for buildings. Over the centuries, an elegant, economical lightweight wood building tradition has devel-

oped in response to this challenging climate. The light timber frame has also become the dominant domestic construction system in North America. Despite its widespread use, its inherent high level of environmental sustainability, its affordability, and its subtle refined aesthetic, architects have been reluctant to embrace it. The research conducted by MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple’s practice, however, builds upon and extends this often understated, everyday language of construction, most often through modest projects like the Cliff House. jury: Among the many weekend and vacation house submissions, this insightful reinterpretation of the archetypal cabin in the landscape was a clear standout project. Perfectly judged for its setting, it elevates plain vernacular form and ordinary materials into a potent mediation on the relationship between the man-made and nature. Its sober tectonic language resonates delightfully with the surrounding coastal landscape, and its haiku-like simplicity and exquisite modesty distills the notion of dwelling into a beautiful and memorable piece of architecture. ca

6 3

ground floor 1 2 3 4 5 6

eNtry KitCHeN/diNiNG liviNG wasHrooM bedrooM opeN to below

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second floor client witHHeld architect team briaN MaCKay-lyoNs, talbot sweetapple, KeviN reid, MelaNie HayNe, sawa rostKowsKa structural CaMpbell CoMeau eNGiNeeriNG liMited geotechnical terraiN Group iNCorporated Builder GordoN MaCleaN area 960 ft2 Budget witHHeld comPletion suMMer 2010

projeCtiNG out froM its MaGNifiCeNt site, tHis Cliffside dwelliNG lives up to its NaMe; deliCate steel supports Give tHis House a seNse of iMperMaNeNCe; tHe liGHt tiMber-fraMe eNvelope is a fiNe CoNtrast to tHe blaCK-paiNted steel eNdosKeletoN; oNe perCeives a deCeptively CalM aNd blaNK wood box wHeN approaCHiNG tHe House froM laNd.

clocKwise from oPPosite toP

05/12 canadian architect

governor general’s medal winner

Quartier des spectacles

proJect Quartier des spectacles place des Festivals et vitrines Habitées, Montreal, Quebec architect daoust lestaGe inc. arcHitecture desiGn urbain photos Marc craMer

Historically home to Montreal’s red light district, theatres and museums, this project demonstrates the ability of cultural momentum to shape urban redevelopment. The core of the Quartier des Spectacles occupies a large city block inhabited by cultural institutions: Place des Arts, Maison Symphonique, and the Musée d’art Contempo rain. Since 2007, this once destructured area, covered by parking lots, has been undergoing a major urban renewal, including a new network of four large outdoor stages around Place des Arts. When completed, it will have transformed more than 300,000 square metres of urban space. Place des Festivals, the first phase of the Quartier des Spectacles, is bordered by rue SainteCatherine to the south and the Maison du Festival de Jazz and future projects to the west. To the east is rue JeanneMance and the blank façade of the Musée d’art Contemporain. The Vitrines Habitées are designed as a response and a solution to this introverted building. Set on a 10metre sidewalk created as part of the Place des Festivals, these glass and aluminum structures are 40 metres long and 4 metres wide with a streetside terrace. All services and techni 22 canadian architect 05/12

cal spaces are located below grade level. Each restaurant has a seating capacity of 60 with an additional 60 places available on the terrace. These buildings reap the maximum benefit from a minimal footprint. The Vitrines are highly transparent to increase the immateriality of the buildings. The architec tural scheme strives to create a monolithic extru sion carefully designed to hide the structure and mechanical systems which would have compro mised the purity of the gesture. The aluminum extrusions are punctuated by bands of glass wrapping the walls and roof. The strategy of opacity and transparency projects the users into the outdoors and allows pedestrians views into and through the restaurants. The west façades, responding to the presence of the public space, have large sliding walls that open up the visual interaction. By night, the Vitrines become a part of the spectacle on the Place. Place des Festivals takes its cues from the theatrical heritage of the neighbourhood, mag nifying the stage to the scale of the city. One of the greatest challenges of this project was to create an outdoor theatre both for the festival season and for normal urban life during the rest of the year. The balance of hard and soft land scaping and vertical markers is important. Mature trees are planted and signature lighting elements, forming the walls and ceiling of the stage, act as festive urban markers, confirming

the presence of the Quartier des Spectacles with in the city’s fabric. The Place is also home to the largest interactive fountain in Canada. Composed of red and white curtains of water and light with a central fountain that rises 12 metres above the surface, it is pro grammed to respond to movement, light and sound. The water, captured at the surface, is filtered and reused for the fountain. Since the delivery of the Place des Festivals, the people of Montreal have claimed the space as their own, making it a true public square all year long, day and night. Abandoned lots once used only during the festival season have established— in this reconfigured public realm of the red light district—a physical complement to these ephem eral events, formalizing theatricality and trans forming the urban experience, from the spectacle to the district. Jury: Acting as a multivalent armature for as sorted spectacles and events in the heart of Montreal, this scheme powerfully encapsulates the potential of public space by engaging with and celebrating civic life. New elements, lighting, and landscaping rationalize and transform an existing nondescript square into a civilizing focus for different activities. The project’s well judged sense of scale and generous urban char acter are an inspiring exemplar for similar developments. ca

site plan

ground Floor 1 vestibule 0 2 reception 3 bar

4 dininG rooM 5m 5 cellar 6 service

7 corridor 10m 8 wc 9 FreiGHt elevator

place des Festivals client ville de Montréal (stépHane ricci, project coordinator) architect team réal lestaGe, renée daoust, caroline beaulieu, natHalie trudel, lucie bibeau, François Ménard, catHerine st-Marseille, Marie-pier MarcHand, Marie-josée GaGnon, stépHane savoie, eveline siMard engineering le Groupe s.M. international inc. lighting éclairaGe public lighting structures & street lighting laMpadaires Feralux Fountain soucy aQuatik contractor terraMex inc. area 320 M2 eacH Budget $22 M completion june 2009

10m

vitrines haBitées client ville de Montréal architect team réal lestaGe, renée daoust, Marc ducHesne, caroline beaulieu, natHalie trudel, catHerine st-Marseille, François Ménard, jean-François bilodeau, Marie-josée GaGnon, stépHane savoie engineering le Groupe s.M. international inc. lighting éclairaGe public contractor Groupe dubé et associés inc. curtain wall aluMico arcHitectural inc. area 320 M2 eacH Budget $4 M completion june 2010

opposite top, leFt to right an aerial view oF a crowd-packed place des Festivals; tHe colourFul and transparent vitrines Habitées aniMate tHe streetscape; a caFé inHabits one oF tHe vitrines, wHose level oF detail approacHes tHat oF an industrial desiGn project. aBove liGHtinG arMatures are visible on tHe plaza, as is tHe popular interactive Fountain.

05/12 canadian architect

governor general’s medal winner

GuillauMe lévesQue

mission KitcisaKiK

Mission KitcisaKiK, KitcisaKiK, Quebec GuillauMe lévesQue, architecte & eMerGency architects canada Photos GuillauMe lévesQue and Peter PaPatie ProJect

architects

Emergency Architects of Canada and Frontiers Foundation, with the initiative of architect Guillaume Lévesque, have built upon their skills and professionalism in order to improve, in a hands-on manner, the condition of the dwellings of Kitcisakik, located outside of reservation land, that have neither running water nor electricity. This work has been undertaken in close consultation with the Anishnabe (Algonquin) Nation, with the goal of developing skills, confidence and autonomy in a community having no legal status and where the residents are considered “squatters” of a land they never left. Other than the crucial involvement of the population in the development of renovation plans, the areas in which the intervention is focused are the following: children’s health; overcrowded dwellings; water access; sustainable development and salvaging materials; sustainable use of local

24 canadian architect 05/12

wood and healthy forest management; selfsufficiency for construction lumber with a saw mill; solar panels and batteries to decrease air pollution from gas generators; and reinforcing expertise as well as the acquisition of new skills for the local workforce. Around 15 Native labourers, counselled by Guillaume Lévesque, work on the jobsites in order to improve their community’s living conditions and durability of the houses. The training obtained on the jobsites will allow some Aboriginals to earn competency certificates from the CCQ (Commission de la Construction du Québec) and to earn a living autonomously. The actions of this joint initiative have given rise to a virtual solidarity movement within the community by mobilizing both private businesses and government alike and have restored confidence and pride to the members of the community. In almost three years (2009-2011), 16 houses were renovated, while the program foresees the renovation of another 10 by the end of 2012. Two sawmills were installed, thanks to the collaboration of the Frontiers Foundation and

clocKwise From toP leFt architects, local natives and non-Profit MeMbers who worKed on Mission KitcisaKiK; victor Penosway PrePares construction tiMbers; three renderinGs of the new hoMes, Partially and coMPletely built.

the support of Lylas Polsen who trained the workers to use the equipment. Under the aegis of the architect, many donors offered over $550,000 in construction materials and over $200,000 in cash, including $40,000 donated by the Frontiers Foundation for the first two homes. In December 2009, the SHQ (Société d’Habitation du Québec) announced support in the form of a million dollars earmarked for a renovation program for 30 houses. The Fonds Mikwam, a local housing corporation, was created to follow through on the renovations and to pay the Native labourers. At the same time, the federal arm committed a million dollars to allow the construction of the elementary school. The school was inaugurated in October 2010 and now allows children to attend school in their own village.

GuillauMe lévesQue

Emergency Architects of Canada is committed to finding other financial partners and donors for the years 2012 and 2013, and invites volunteers to work on jobsites with the local workers in order to promote intercultural cooperation and to dissolve prejudices towards Aboriginals. Encouraged by the feeling of pride within the community, Guillaume Lévesque wishes to repeat the experience with other communities and invites the workers to share and transfer their acquired skills.

an exterior Patio trellis Provides sheltered outdoor sPace; two iMaGes of native worKers froM the anishnabe nation that were Given on-the-Job traininG; overcrowded and unsafe housinG necessitated the iMProveMent of local livinG conditions; a finished exaMPle of one of the coMPleted houses; a construction teaM Poses in front of a recently built hoMe.

clocKwise From toP leFt

GuillauMe lévesQue

client coMMunauté anicinaPe de KitcisaKiK, chief adrienne anichinaPéo, MiKwaM fund (auGustin Penoway, director) architect team GuillauMe lévesQue, bernard McnaMara, yves lanGevin native team tciKy Penosway, MoniQue PaPatie, denis JeanPierre, dioMed PaPatie, Jean-Paul brazeau, axel PaPatie, benoit Penosway, rodericK PaPatie, alex PaPatie, Marie-anne PaPatie, PatricK Gunn, Jean-Paul Penosway, Jean-baPtiste Gunn, charley PaPatens, arMand PaPatie, Ghislain Penosway, hélène brazeau, rodney PaPatie, JéréMie PaPatie, Matts Gunn, Gilbert PaPatie, Peter PaPatie, victor PaPatie ProJect Partner frontiers foundation (lylas Polsen, charles catto, Marco GuzMan) University Partners université laval (caroline desbiens, andré casault) strUctUral Geniex (Pierre brassard) contractor coMMunauté anicinaPe de KitcisaKiK, cooPérative de solidarité wenicec de KitcisaKiK area 30 houses (750 ft2 each) BUdget $2 M comPletion 2009-2013

GuillauMe lévesQue

Peter PaPatie

Jury: Though not a conventional architectural project, this imaginative and pioneering initiative to improve physical conditions in First Nations communities deserves wider recognition. At its heart and with searing clarity, it embodies the most fundamental aspect of architecture, which is to transform human life for the better. It responds bravely to real and urgent needs, and applies technical skill with energy and dedication. In recognizing the value and significance of this process, it is to be hoped such initiatives will become more widely emulated. ca

05/12 canadian architect

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3/4/11 8:21 AM

governor general’s medal winner

delegation of the ismaili imamat

ProJect

The DelegaTion of The ismaili imamaT, oTTawa, onTario maki anD associaTes | moriyama & Teshima archiTecTs Tom arban

architects Photos

The Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat in Ottawa (Delegation Building) is a formal and symbolic representational building for the Ismaili Imamat in Canada and for the non-denominational, philanthropic and development agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network. An open and secular facility, the Delegation Building is a sanctuary for peaceful quiet diplomacy, informed by a commitment to global pluralism and to the development of civil societies. The building powerfully symbolizes this important mission through its architectural “bridging of dichotomies” such as modernity + tradition, light + dark, indoor + outdoor, west + east. Contained within a simple rectilinear footprint (43.5 metres wide, 87 metres long, resting on a podium of black granite), the building plan is configured as a “ring” of program enclosing two central symbolic spaces— a crystal-inspired domed atrium and an open-air interior courtyard. The atrium is located to the west and is accessible from the ceremonial entrance on Sussex Drive, while the modern four-season courtyard—adapted from the traditional Chahar Bagh, a Persian-Islamic walled garden—is located to the east. The atrium is inspired by natural stone crystals, traditional dome construction and Islamic geometries, and creates a highly distinctive and visible landmark. The unique geometry of the atrium animates the interior 28 canadian architect 05/12

central hall and gathering space with an enchanting interplay of light and shadow. The quality of light within the hall is enhanced by virtue of a stunning jali screen composed of 180 custom-cast aluminum panels. The panel pattern—a double layer of repeating hexagons—evokes the screens of carved marble and wood that filter light and views in traditional Islamic architecture. Floating between the glass dome structure and the jali screen is a shading layer composed of triangular frames covered with woven glassfibre meshing that gently transforms the quality of light filtering through. An intricately patterned floor of Canadian maple (49 geometric squares in reference to the 49th Imam) lends additional warmth and a domestic note of welcome. Symbolically, crystals represent spiritual peace and healing. The powerful yet modest design of the atrium and its delicate patterns of light and shadow evoke in visitors a profound sense of spiritual peace and optimism. The primacy of light and the interplay of contrasting opacity and translucency is a strong theme of this work. Clad primarily in glass with varying degrees of transparency, translucency and opacity, the building achieves a dynamic visual effect. Crystallized glass panels (Neopariés)—a unique building material that gives the glass a soft opaque colour and a smooth marble-like finish almost porcelain in its quality and beauty—comprise the primary façades. Like the natural beauty of a rock crystal that is a wonder to behold, it is hoped that the Delegation Building will be a source of optimism, fascination and enlightenment for all.

Jury: This is a significant addition to Ottawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s repertoire of diplomatic buildings and puts Canadian architecture firmly on the world stage. Impressively monumental in scale, the project combines a powerful civic presence with a remarkable level of sophistication. Its integration of traditional Islamic motifs such as specially crafted screens and a lush courtyard garden is choreographed with assurance and sensitivity, bringing the building wonderfully to life as a delicate and sensual piece of architecture, while the quality of materials and detailing is outstanding. ca client imara (sussex Drive) limiTeD architect team maki anD associaTes: fumihiko maki, gary kamemoTo, koTa kawasaki, TaTsuTomo hasegawa, isao ikeDa, makoTo oTake. moriyama & Teshima archiTecTs: TeD Teshima, DiarmuiD nash, norman Jennings, po ma, louis lorTie, emmanuelle van ruTTen, amanDa gilberT, ronen bauer, John blakey, shawn geDDes, roy gill, Joni inouye, aJon moriyama, farhaD rahbary, hany riZkalla, susana saiZ, elias saouD, chris yen. Planning team moriyama & Teshima planners (Drew wensley, Tara mccarThy, eric klaver) strUctUral halcrow yolles mechanical The miTchell parTnership electrical mulvey & banani landscaPe moriyama & Teshima planners interiors maki anD associaTes in collaboraTion wiTh moriyama & Teshima archiTecTs contractor pcl consTrucTors canaDa inc. lighting suZanne powaDiuk Design inc. acoUstical aercousTics engineering lTD. food service Design.neT code leber rubes costing curran mccabe ravinDran ross inc. architectUral sPecifications Dgs consulTing services Planning lloyD phillips & associaTes lTD. traffic and civil Delcan corporaTion microclimate, wind and snow rowan williams Davis anD irwin inc. (rwDi) environmental and geotechnical golDer associaTes lTD. aUdio/visUal engineering harmonics area 8,916 m2 bUdget $54 m comPletion november 2008

The eleganT formal enTry To The builDing, vieweD from sussex Drive. toP, left to right The iconic crysTal-like glass roof over The cenTral aTrium; The cusTom-DesigneD anD fabricaTeD aluminum laTTicework of The Jali screen. above The inTerior courTyarD garDen beckons DespiTe iTs formaliTy. oPPosite toP

05/12 canadian architect

governor general’s medal winner

BoB gunDu

integral house

Integral House, toronto, ontarIo sHIm-sutclIffe arcHItects Photos James Dow, BoB gunDu anD eDwarD Burtynsky ProJect

architect

The Integral House is a place for architecture, music and performance located at the edge of a Toronto ravine. From the street, one reads a twostorey building with a grounded wood base sitting on top of a translucent, gently shaped etchedglass skin. The wooden base is composed of solid walls clad in oak that dissolve into oak-clad fins. These serpentine walls, made of vertical glass separated by projecting oak fins, form the gentle perimeter to the house, echoing the undulating contour lines of the river valley and the winding pathways in the native forest of oaks, maples and beeches. The client’s passion for curves provides a starting point for this project. Curvilinear volumes require double integrals and result in complex shapes that permeate this project. The section of the house parallels the experience of descending the ravine slope as well as ascending into the treetops. The key moment of the journey through the project is a performance 30 canadian architect 05/12

space for 150 people to gather, located a full floor below entry level and visually intertwined with the ravine landscape. Upper-level dining and living areas double as balconies during a performance and provide additional seating overlooking the performance space. Each storey of the building has a different and emphatic relationship to the ravine landscape. At the lower floors, the experience of the forest floor is primary. As one ascends through the house, both the palette and spatial experiences lighten until one reaches the airy treetops. Sustainability is integrated into the project and is not considered as a mere list of features. Beneath the entry driveway, 23 geothermal pipes provide heating and cooling for the main performance space and the residence. The demands of an assembly space for large events and gatherings necessitate an approach that is simultaneously energy-efficient and extremely quiet. The project’s extensive green roof reduces the heat-island effect and serves as a visual feature that can be viewed from many parts of the building. The vertical wooden fins provide sun-shading on the

exterior and contribute to the acoustic quality of the performance space. Materials have been selected for their aesthetic contribution as well as for their enduring qualities based on life-cycle costing calculations. Many experiments and explorations can be found throughout the project—fireplaces, staircases and door handles. One such element is a blue glass stair, the result of a collaboration between glass artist Mimi Gellman, Norbert Sattler, Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, and structural engineer David Bowick. As a site-specific commissioned artwork, the stair is composed of handblown, laminated blue glass shingles supported by cast bronze clips and stainless steel cables. Laminated translucent glass treads span laser-cut steel treads and allow natural light to filter from a large upper skylight through the staircase to the spaces below. The Integral House’s blue glass stair is the result of an ongoing collaboration between an artist, an architect and an engineer working together to realize an ethereal space for inhabitation.

eDwarD Burtynsky

James Dow

tHe maIn entry to tHe House ProVIDes VIsItors wItH glImPses of tHe stunnIng VIews tHat awaIt InsIDe, anD IntroDuces a carefully HoneD anD fInely DetaIleD Palette of materIals. clocKwise From toP right all four leVels of tHe Integral House can Be VIeweD tHrougH tHe trees from tHe raVIne BeHInD; tHe elegantly DetaIleD swImmIng Pool on tHe Bottom leVel oPens uP to tHe exterIor terrace In warmer clImes VIa a mecHanIzeD wInDow wall tHat lowers Into tHe floor; VertIcal wooDen fIns enHance tHe fluID organIcIsm of tHe Performance sPace, anD ProVIDe solar sHaDIng as well as acoustIc BenefIts.

oPPosite toP

Jury: A genuine gesamtkunstwerk in which individual parts combine to create a resonant and beautiful whole. Standing out as a new landmark in Canadian domestic architecture, the house is

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entry lIVIng room uPPer lIVIng room master BeDroom Hall guest room guest suIte garage stuDy

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guest BatHroom cHange room Pool terrace roof garDen mecHanIcal room storage serVery Bar

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this a superlative achievement that extends the pioneering role of the private house in modern architecture. ca

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a tour de force of elegance and expressiveness. The intimate relationship with site and landscape, the lyrical play of light and intense focus on how things are made and put together makes

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client James stewart architect team BrIgItte sHIm anD HowarD sutclIffe (PrIncIPals), Betsy wIllIamson (ProJect arcHItect), anDrew Hart, DenIse HaraDem, mIke gooreVIcH, kyra clarkson, saraH Iwata, elena cHernysHoV, tHeo kelaDItIs anD aPrIl wong (moDel-makers) structural Blackwell BowIck engIneerIng (DaVID BowIck) mechanical toews engIneerIng (frank toews) electrical DynamIc DesIgns anD engIneerIng (tony monoPolI) landscaPe nak DesIgn grouP (roBert ng) contractor eIsner-murray DeVeloPments Inc. (steVe eIsner anD steVe murray) code HIne reIcHarD tomlIn Inc. (DaVe HIne) Fountain waterarcHItecture Inc. (Dan euser) area 18,000 ft2 Budget wItHHelD comPletion fall 2008

05/12 canadian architect

governor generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medal winner

mississauga Public libraries

Lakeview, Port Credit and Lorne Park Libraries, Mississauga, ontario architect rdH arCHiteCts inC. Photos toM arban Projects

The Mississauga Library Project is an adaptive reuse strategy for the major renovation and addition to the Lakeview, Port Credit, and Lorne Park branch libraries, all dating from between 1956 and 1967. The three renovations have been structured as one project, a strategy put forth by the client as a means to use public infrastructure stimulus funds in an efficient manner. Each of the three libraries is situated in a park setting; Lakeview and Lorne Park are embedded within established 1950s suburban neighbourhoods, and Port Credit is situated adjacent to the Credit River along Lakeshore Road, the commercial high street of the old town of Port Credit. Originally designed as Mid-Century Modern buildings, the three libraries display similar 32 canadian architect 05/12

physical and aesthetic characteristics. As such, the design for the projects is based on the development of a single vocabulary of consistent parts, applied to each of the three libraries in a varied manner. The solution offers a balance between an appropriate response to three very similar historic buildings and an efficient solution for a fast-paced schedule. The resulting design transforms three tired modern facilities through an extensive process involving: a complete gutting of the interiors, a recladding and expansion of all glazed areas, the refurbishment of exterior masonry, and the development of a canopy frame system and set of exterior terracesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all of which is intended to change the aesthetic of the building, engage with the street and park settings, and offer a number of new functional, protective and sustainable initiatives. The existing exterior elevations of each library are composed as a basic rhythm of solid and void. The solid areas are comprised of vertical fields of

clocKwise From toP Pink CoLuMns Lend Levity to tHe unequivoCaLLy Modernist voCabuLary of tHe Port Credit Library; tHe existing red briCk CLadding of tHe Lorne Park Library is uPdated witH a LigHtweigHt steeL CanoPy systeM tHat Provides sHeLter froM tHe eLeMents; two iMages of quiet grouP study rooMs in tHe Lakeview Library.

masonry; the void areas are comprised of vertical fields of glazing. This composition is respected and accentuated by increasing the amount of glazing in each void area, extending the glass from floor to ceiling and using a minimal detailing methodology. Further accenting the composition of solid and void is the incorporation of a canopy and terrace system that wraps each library, creating a finer grain and vertical texture. The new steel-frame canopy systems attempt to integrate the existing building volumes, engage with the park setting,

provide for solid canopies, solar shading, volumetric integration, LED lighting and planting. Further to this, the fields of glazing incorporate a custom ceramic frit patterning which reinforces the vertical striation of the colonnade. This undulating line pattern is conceived as a further extension of the solid and void relationship, a ceramic solar screen that reads like the opening and closing pages of a book. A material vocabulary of transparency is utilized throughout all three libraries for increased sightlines and views within and out to the surrounding areas. This transparency is achieved through the use of extensive areas of glazed curtain wall, structural glass partition walls, low shelving, and the restoration of open planning at all three facilities. The restored open plans help to reinstate the original architectural aspiration of three clear, rational and open pavilions floating above their natural settings. The Mississauga Public Library project revital-

izes three dilapidated Mid-Century Modern structures, acknowledging the historic relevance of Modernism by utilizing an efficient and respectful strategy, transforming the facilities by way of exploring and accentuating the existing Modernist condition. Consequently, the resulting buildings aspire to engender a new public appreciation for Modernist public buildings and encourage a new generation of library users back to these important community institutions. jury: In an era increasingly attuned to the demands of sustainable construction and the need to conserve resources, this astute and economical remodelling of a trio of library buildings is emblematic of the growing social and cultural importance of adaptive reuse. Handled with a superb lightness of touch, the new interventions have a clarity and precision that subtly allude to the buildingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Modernist origins. The dialogue between existing and contemporary parts is

clocKwise From toP four iMages of tHe Lakeview Library evidenCe tHe addition of a unifying CanoPy fraMe systeM; a detaiL of tHe Louvred sHading systeM; tHe exPressed struCture and duCtwork in tHe buiLdingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interior; and tHe abundanCe of naturaL dayLigHt tHrougH tHe generous Provision of skyLigHts.

clearly articulated and poetically expressed, revitalizing each library both as an individual building and as a wider neighbourhood focus. ca

client Mississauga PubLiC Library architect team bob goyeCHe, tyLer sHarP, graHaM gavine, sanjoy PaL, Marnie wiLLiaMs, sCott waugH, george agnew structural HaLsaLL assoCiates Ltd. mechanical/electrical jain assoCiates Ltd. landscaPe nak design civil vaLdor engineering inC. contractor brown danieLs assoCiates area Lakeview 705 M2; Lorne Park 1,106 M2; Port Credit 754 M2 + 28 M2 addition budget $8.9 M comPletion january 2011

05/12 canadian architect

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5/1/12 10:38 AM

governor general’s medal winner

newmarket operations centre

project Newmarket OperatiONs CeNtre, Newmarket, ONtariO architect rDH arCHiteCts iNC. photos tOm arbaN

Municipal operations centres rarely attract attention from designers or the public, despite their functions being critical to the life of most communities. The Newmarket Operations Centre represents an attempt to celebrate these services with a new civic landmark, promoting the town as a well-managed, forward-thinking and sustainable community. The primary design challenge was to reconcile these goals with complex technical requirements in a robust and very economical structure. The building’s identity is defined by a rigorously pragmatic design vocabulary using off-the-shelf components; it embodies a rethinking of the municipal operations centre consciously aimed at setting a new national standard for the design of this underappreciated typology. Located in an industrial park visible from Mulock Drive—one of the primary entry points into Newmarket, the 6,100-square-metre pro36 canadian architect 05/12

gram consolidates three previously scattered municipal departments and includes offices, meeting and training spaces, and facilities for the storage, repair and washing of vehicles and equipment. The 11-hectare site includes parking, a works yard, outdoor materials storage and two prefabricated structures in addition to the main building. A 4.2-metre change in grade is exploited, using a simple gabion basket retaining wall and landscaped extension of the building’s green roof, to provide a secure separation between public access at the upper level and the works yard below. This gesture incidentally creates the illusion, when entering the site, of two distinct structures. The building is conceived as a sequence of parallel programmatic bars of alternating character. The public atrium and the three fleet work zones are daylit great rooms that use a minimalist industrial aesthetic to create a restrained and elegant background for work. All other spaces are housed in lower interstitial volumes. A circulation spine threads these elements together and

provides secure checkpoints between public, administrative, and fleet zones which often operate at different hours. All users enter at the upper level of the public atrium, where reception and administrative offices are located; descending the grand stair one finds meeting spaces, training rooms and a cafeteria. Staff can access changerooms underneath the green roof, emerging in the fleet work areas. Full-height glazed bifold overhead doors frame the entire north and south faces of these rooms, allowing one-way drive-through access to large vehicles. These doors are clad in curtain wall and appear, when closed, as a seamless continuation of the building envelope. When open they provide a large canopy, a continuous interior/exterior workspace, and effective cross-ventilation to the majority of the building. A suspended welded wire mesh ceiling acts as a scrim over the building’s mechanical systems and structure while also preventing birds from nesting within. Green strategies to achieve LEED Silver accreditation include geothermal heating and cooling, daylighting and natural ventilation to almost

tHe Newmarket OperatiONs CeNtre was CONstruCteD ON a fOrmer brOwNfielD site iN aN iNDustrial park. right, top to Bottom full-HeigHt glazeD bifOlD DOOrs permit large veHiCles tO Drive tHrOugH tHe builDiNg iNtO separate bays fOr wasHiNg, repair aND stOrage; a geNerOus publiC atrium permits Natural DayligHt tO flOOD tHe lOwer level. opposite

all occupied spaces, an intensive green roof, solar hot water heating, stormwater reuse, and naturalized, drought-resistant planting. Furthermore, the new site is a former brownfield, while the site of the former Operations Centre near the town centre will be reclaimed as part of a public park. jury: This project elevates an ordinary brief for a municipal operations centre into an exercise in formal refinement and economy that sets new standards for such civically crucial but architecturally neglected buildings. Through a rigorous, analytical approach, it reconciles demanding technical requirements with a crisply hewn architecture of sobriety and simplicity. Functional efficiency is matched by a clear commitment to sustainability, as well as the laudable aim of enriching the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wider environs. ca

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refleCtive membraNe rOOf iNteNsive greeN rOOf uNDergrOuND stOrmwater COlleCtiON stOrmwater reteNtiON area geOtHermal HeatiNg aND COOliNg future wiND turbiNe NaturalizeD vegetatiON sOlar HOt water HeatiNg array Daylit wOrkspaCe 9

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drive-through vehicle repair bay

recessed mech. units + storage

client tOwN Of Newmarket (briaN JONes, DireCtOr publiC wOrks serviCes) architect team bOb gOyeCHe, tONy lOpes, geOff miller, sCOtt wilsON structural engineers Halsall assOCiates ltD. mechanical, electrical & sustainaBility JaiN & assOCiates civil a.m. CaNDeras assOCiates iNC. landscape Nak DesigN grOup Builder birD CONstruCtiON area 6,115 m2 Budget $21.3 m completion OCtOber 2010

drive-through vehicle wash bay

sustainaBle Features

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05/12 canadian architect

governor general’s medal winner

tOM arban

vaughan city hall

ProJect

Vaughan City hall, Vaughan, OntariO Kuwabara Payne MCKenna bluMberg arChiteCts tOM arban and Maris Mezulis

architect Photos

Originally a rural township located at the northern edge of Toronto, the city of Vaughan is transitioning from a rural past to an urban future. Since 1981, the town has grown from 29,647 to approximately 220,000 inhabitants, witnessing unprecedented growth and replacing farmland with housing and big-box retail. The Vaughan Civic Centre was the winning scheme in an invited design competition to set a tone for civic-minded and environmentally responsible development in the 21st century. The competition terms required an architectural treatment for the new City Hall building and a master plan for the entire Civic Centre site, which includes a diverse program of Civic Square, Chamber of Commerce, administrative offices, public spaces and gardens. The site comprises 24 acres on the site of the original City Hall designed in the 1970s. It is bounded on the north and west by multi-lane highways, while on the east it is bordered by inter-regional railway tracks and on the south it backs onto a residential subdivision. The solution—a campus of low-rise buildings defining a public terrain of open spaces—was inspired by the clarity of town planning in Ontario, where City Hall, Civic Square, market and cenotaph form an identifiable civic pre38 canadian architect 05/12

the VertiCality Of the illuMinated ClOCK tOwer is an iMPOrtant COunterPOint tO the hOrizOntality Of the new City hall. a generOus fOreCOurt will enable future aCtiVities liKe farMers’ MarKets and festiVals tO OCCur, aCtiVating this PubliC sPaCe.

aBove

cinct. In response to the city’s agricultural heritage, the campus is organized according to a series of bands informed by the east-west agricultural subdivision system and the north-south concession grid. Officially opened in 2011, City Hall houses the Council Chamber, civic administrative offices and a Civic Tower, and implements the first phase of the master-plan vision. The buildings are stepped down in height from the northeast corner to the lower pavilions located at the west and south. The City Hall and Civic Tower anchor the composition and command the attention of approaching traffic. An allée of maple trees along the southern edge of the Square leads to the main entrance of City Hall. Exterior cladding materials include terra cotta, copper and glass curtain wall, combined with thick slabs of Ontario Wiarton and Halton Blue Ice stone for exterior landscape and interior floor finishes. Interior spaces are finished in maple and stained walnut, and major public circulation routes and assembly spaces will be finished in Ledgerock and Ontario limestone. The architects raised the original LEED Silver target to Gold, and challenged the City’s requirement for 900 surface parking spaces because it contradicted sustainability goals. The solution includes underground park-

ing, saving the surface land for green space. The plan is organized around interconnected, centrally located atria for daylight to reach the mid-point of the workspaces. When weather conditions are favourable, the atria windows open automatically to naturally ventilate the building. The building orientation and the use of optimum amounts of glazing to reduce solar heat gain greatly reduce the need for a large HVAC system and artificial lighting. Offices have raised floors and flexible workstations, and the overall structure is concrete slab with a concrete framework of circular columns and flared capitals.

Maris Mezulis

Jury: An example of a large and complex municipal program that is deftly handled to the extreme, not only in terms of its thoughtful spatial organization and lucidly elegant architectural language, but also as a distinctive civic anchoring point in an expansive and loose-knit suburban milieu. The quality of materials and detailing, and the effects of light are all finely judged, reinforcing the overall sense of a calm, dignified and recognizably contemporary architecture designed to last and to embody the inherent decorum and efficiency of municipal life. ca

tOM arban

client City Of Vaughan (ClaytOn harris, City Manager) architect team shirley bluMberg, bruCe Kuwabara, gOran MilOseViC, KeVin bridgMan, garth ziMMer, walter gaudet, andrea MaCarOun, artur KObylansKi, geOrge biziOs, shane Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;neil, Carla MunOz, bill COlaCO, riChard wOng, safdar abidi, raMOn Janer, daVe sMythe, lilly liauKus, JaCKi ChaPel, arMine tadeVOsyan structural halCrOw yOlles PartnershiP inC. mechanical stanteC electrical MulVey & banani landscaPe PhilliPs fareVaag sMallenberg traffic & municiPal lea COnsulting ltd. leed dst COnsulting engineers sustainaBility stanteC code leber rubes Building enveloPe brOOK Van dalen civil COnestOga-rOVers area 320,000 ft2 Budget $105 M comPletion 2011

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the well-designed and generOusly sCaled CiViC square. a View Of the Multi-stOrey Central lObby. aBove the bulging underbelly Of the COunCil ChaMber PrOMinently eMPhasizes the deMOCratiC PrOCess Of MuniCiPal POlitiCs in Vaughan.

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05/12 canadian architect

governor general’s medal winner

terrence donnelly health sciences complex

proJect Terrence Donnelly HealTH ScienceS complex, UniverSiTy of ToronTo miSSiSSaUga, onTario architect KongaTS arcHiTecTS photos SHai gil

The Terrence Donnelly Health Sciences Complex (TDHSC) at the University of Toronto Mississauga accommodates teaching and research facilities for the new medical program to be based at the Mississauga campus. The campus has a history of forward-thinking design, and is composed of four buildings that have been recognized by a number of OAA Awards of Excellence: the Student Centre; the Communications, Culture and Technology Building; the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre; and the Recreation, Athletic and Wellness Centre. The TDHSC has been designed to uphold the tradition of design excellence that the campus currently enjoys. The functional programming of the TDHSC supports three primary user groups: the new Mississauga Academy of Medicine, the Department of Biomedical Communications, and the Department of Anthropology and Forensics. Each of the three user groups has very distinct space, 40 canadian architect 05/12

adjacency and identity requirements. A number of building massing configurations were initially explored, including a woven courtyard, an interior courtyard, and terraced gardens—to meet the program’s requirements. The TDHSC is situated on sloped terrain rising up from the outer campus Ring Road, and will landmark the entrance to the proposed Academic Quad. The shifting floor plates of the TDHSC accentuate the soft landscape to the east, south and west, while the building’s north face, in its vertical uniformity, will provide a formal façade to the Academic Quad. The faceted stainless steel façades capture both natural and ambient artificial light, ensuring its landmark presence is articulated 24/7. The program at the TDHSC includes video conference-ready lecture theatres, classrooms, seminar rooms, faculty and administrative offices, and instructional laboratories. The facility will also house the Biomedical Communications program and five research laboratories. The innovative skin of glass and metal panels wrap a stacked series of boxes that step up the existing hill of the site. As the boxes enlarge and shrink to suit the requirements of the program they con-

tain, roof gardens and overhangs will be created. These gardens, in turn, will serve to integrate the building with its site while providing the occupants of each floor with private and communal outdoor terraces.

axonometric

In keeping with the University of Toronto’s mandate for sustainable building, the Health Sciences Complex has been designed for LEED Gold certification.

THe vieW-inSpireD oUTDoor Terrace iS proTecTeD by a generoUS canTilevereD overHang. above leFt STainleSS STeel finS aDD DepTH anD SHaDoW To THe inTelligenTly compoSeD STacKeD floor plaTeS. above right a Dynamic vieW of THe proJecT WiTH iTS peDeSTrian SKyWalK linKing iT To an exiSTing bUilDing. opposite top

Jury: A large institutional building is articulated and humanized by skillful massing and the inventive treatment of the façade. A cladding system of shimmering metal fins animates the stacked-box arrangement of volumes, and gives the building a distinctive set-piece quality amidst its campus neighbours. Interiors are luminous and civilized with ample natural light, and the

sliding stacked volumes create terraces for encounter and engagement. The quality of detailing is exceptional and the sophisticated use of materials lifts the building into a class of its own. ca

client UniverSiTy of ToronTo architect team alar KongaTS, Danielle lam-KUlczaK, pHilip TomS, DaviD SaSaKi, SUKie leUng, aleSSia SoppelSa, DieTer JanSSen, anDrea ling, Tyler WalKer, DereK mccallUm, eric van ziffle structural HalSall aSSociaTeS limiTeD mechanical/electrical croSSey engineering lTD. laboratory WaTSon maceWen TeramUra aSSociaTeS landscape corban anD gooDe civil mgm conSUlTing inc. audio-visual engineering HarmonicS code ranDal broWn & aSSociaTeS lTD. cost a.W. HooKer commissioning Hfm building envelope brooK van Dalen & aSSociaTeS limiTeD proJect manager pmx inc. (for THe UniverSiTy of ToronTo) contractor HarbriDge + croSS limiTeD area 6,000 m2 budget $25 m completion fall 2011

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05/12 canadian architect

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governor general’s medal winner

Bloc_10

ProJect

Bloc_10, Winnipeg, ManitoBa 5468796 architecture 5468796 architecture

architect Photos

Bloc_10 is a condominium project situated on a busy traffic corridor in Winnipeg’s postwar neighbourhood of River Heights. Starting from a standard three-storey vertical volume, the individual floor plates of each walk-up are strung together along a common core, then staggered across the site to provide unique unit compositions and a multiplicity of views. The strict zoning setbacks established the initial maximum mass of the development. This mass was then carved back to allow for vehicular movement and outdoor areas, while leaving a screen wall in place of the initial allowable built volume. Inside, a common service core contains all mechanical services and circulation space in the building, freeing the open living space to accommodate a wide range of “white box” layouts. Dotted across each elevation are six-foot-deep cantilevered projections that extend the floor plates on alternating levels. Intermediate decks criss-cross the entire façade, shielded from the street by a layer of wooden slats. This screen wall forms a protective veil responding to the amount of traffic driving past the site. By providing a buf44 canadian architect 05/12

fer against noise and unwanted visual stimuli, the building is able to face the street instead of turning away like most of the other houses on the strip. At the project’s outset, the client expressed a desire for simple wood-frame construction and an uncomplicated building envelope. The “white box” concept arose from the need for a low entrylevel price point, as well as flexibility in how the units could be sold and marketed. The adaptability of plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems is also critical to the success of a white box development. These systems must provide efficient, coherent connection points to limit costs of future extensions and modifications of the system, without restricting layout possibilities. Electrical distribution begins at the main floor in the stairwell wall and diagonally follows the ceiling to each floor connection. The main water supply and all drain lines run vertically within the plumbing walls. This arrangement situates the mechanical areas at the core of the building rather than the more coveted exterior wall areas. Individuals can take advantage of this flexibility to customize their living situations into a number of dwelling scenarios. The design enables “wet” functions to be developed on any

floor, allowing users to inhabit each level any way they choose. The architectural challenge was to take an expected, generic typology and create something unexpected—to shake up the white box. The final design uses basic, seemingly standard built elements (stairs, plumbing chases, windows and doors, floors and skin) to create a unique, cohesive whole—regardless of the eventual inhabitations of each unit. Bloc_10 is a study in how a box design can be both simple and complex. The standard threestorey walk-up building typology is reimagined, distributing 10 original layouts across and through the site. The stacking and staggering of unit floor plates results in a complex relationship between neighbours. All units have access to full north and south exposures, typically with an additional east or west face, making eight of ten units into three-sided corner suites. The variable layout also provides every tenant a place of refuge from the traffic noise on Grant Avenue. Jury: This eye-catching block of multi-family housing reworks the familiar typology of the lowrise terrace block to striking effect. Apartments fit together with the pleasing complexity and in-

solid core

flexiBle Block

haBitaBle shell

thin screen

structural comPonents

an iMage of the typologically innovative loW-rise condoMiniuM taken along Winnipegâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Busy grant avenue. toP Wood screens forM a protective veil, Buffering against noise and unWanted visual stiMuli. aBove an interior vieW of one of the corner unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the coMposition of each condo is unique in terMs of vieW and layout. Bottom right a skyWard vieW of the underside of the deck and Wood screen Wall. oPPosite toP

exPloded axonometric

genuity of a Chinese puzzle, offering spatial and experiential variety. Thoughtful consideration of materials gives the scheme an uplifting confidence within its unremarkable suburban context. Handled with sensitivity and flair, this project shows what can be achieved by applying intelligence and imagination to an often disregarded building type. ca

client green seed developMent corporation architect team sharon ackerMan, Mandy aldcorn, ken Borton, Jordy craddock, Michelle heath, aynslee hurdal, Johanna hurMe, cristina ionescu, grant laBossiere, Jayne Miles, colin neufeld, Zach pauls, sasa radulovic, shannon WieBe structural lavergne draWard & associates mechanical g.d. stasynec & associates ltd. electrical McW/age consulting professional engineers Builder green seed developMent corporation + holZ constructors inc. area 10,000 ft2 Budget $2 M comPletion octoBer 2011

05/12 canadian architect

governor general’s medal winner

college of new caledonia

ProJect College of New CaledoNia— TeChNiCal Trades CeNTre, QuesNel, BriTish ColumBia architect offiCe of mCfarlaNe Biggar arChiTeCTs + desigNers iNC (CommeNCed as mCfarlaNe | greeN | Biggar arChiTeCTure + desigN iNC) Photos omB/JeaN-PhiliPPe delage

This new 2,500-square-metre Technical Education Centre provides safe and flexible space for the instruction of technical and industrial trades and related curricula. The building was completed in 2011 on a very tight timeline, and delivered within a very modest construction budget. The facility supports 250 students in a broad array of courses, including welding, millwright, carpentry, plumbing and electrical programs. The program possesses an inherent toughness that served as inspiration for the project and is celebrated throughout. The project is the second phase of the College of New Caledonia’s seven-hectare Quesnel campus, and complements the Main Campus Building completed in 2006. Situated on a brownfield site, the building mediates between the existing college parking area and the forested bluff that marks the edge of the campus to the south. 46 canadian architect 05/12

The formal parti is derived from the clear division between indoor/outdoor industrial learning spaces and more traditional classroom settings, and is further informed by the desire for easy linear expansion to the west. The programmatic elements are organized in a single storey and are differentiated through the building’s simple volumes and materials. A two-storey linear atrium space organizes the major programmatic elements succinctly and provides a naturally ventilated connection to the Main Campus Building. A multi-cell polycarbonate glazing system provides abundant daylight while controlling glare from southern exposure. The lush greenery of the forest edge provides the backdrop to the more contemplative classroom, administrative, and gathering spaces, while a full-height meticulously detailed wooden glazing system provides extended views into the landscape and delivers natural ventilation. The busy shop spaces and the associated works yard are proudly oriented toward the centre of the campus, and are generously proportioned to allow for multiple uses and infinite flexibility. The construction of the building is relatively straightforward. The tightly controlled materiali-

This reCeNT addiTioN To The College of New CaledoNia CamPus ProJeCTs a loNg, low-sluNg Profile; Bold graPhiCs eNliveN iNTerior doors; a humBle maTerial PaleTTe CoNveys The iNdusTrial verNaCular; CleresTory wiNdows Provide diffuse lighTiNg To The aTrium aNd shoPs iN The Two-sTorey rear volume of The BuildiNg. clocKwise from aBove

ty is a direct descendant of the humble material palette of the industrial vernacular. Materials were chosen for their capacity to develop a patina over time in lieu of onerous maintenance. Ground-face load-bearing concrete masonry units envelop the shops and support recycled steel joists and decking. Polycarbonate clerestory glazing emits diffuse light in the shops and atrium, while black fibre-cement panels provide a neutral backdrop to the myriad of activities in the works yard. Plain-sawn fir plywood is deployed strategically throughout the interior, in homage to the region’s wood-based economy. The building demonstrates commitment to sustainable building practices, targeting LEED Gold certification. Building green in the north requires a focus on the optimization of energy

performance. Special attention was focused on balancing the desire for transparency and natural light with building thermal performance to minimize demand on active mechanical systems. Interiors were fitted out with low-emitting materials, chosen for high recycled content and locally sourced wherever possible. In response to the rugged nature of the program, finishes were selected for their durability and natural appearance.

Jury: Transformed by a series of big, bold moves that celebrate basic materials, modular construction and an industrial ethos, this modest program for a technical trades college elevates the commonplace into the heroic. Embedded within the sober, stripped-back structure, a dignified and generous set of spaces form an uplifting environment for technical education and show how apparently ordinary buildings can be elevated into truly memorable architecture. ca

client College of New CaledoNia architect team sTeve mCfarlaNe, miChelle Biggar, aNaBella alfoNzo, miNgyuk CheN, JeaN-PhiliPPe delage, BeTh deNNy, NiCk fosTer, Josie graNT, JeNNell hagardT, gerry reiBliNg, lydia roBiNsoN, feliz sarCePuedes, susaN sCoTT, Barry woNg, JiNg Xu structural eQuiliBrium CoNsulTiNg mechanical/electrical CoBalT eNgiNeeriNg code ghl CoNsulTaNTs civil l&m eNgiNeeriNg landscaPe Pwl ParTNershiP sPecifications morris sPeCifiCaTioNs Builder PCl CoNsTruCTioN area 2,500 m2 comPletion sPriNg 2011 Budget $9.5 m

7 4 4

1 eXisTiNg BuildiNg 2 liNk hallway 3 sTaff louNge 4 Classroom 5 washrooms/loCkers 6 offiCes 7 aTrium 8 eleCTriCal room 9 meChaNiCal room 10 eleCTriCal/PlumBiNg shoP 11 CarPeNTry shoP 12 Power eNgiNeeriNg shoP 13 weldiNg shoP 14 griNdiNg room 15 shoP eNTry 16 sTorage

5 3

1 1 TeChNiCal Trades CeNTre 2 yard 3 eXisTiNg BuildiNg 4 eXisTiNg ParkiNg loT 5 geoThermal field 6 sTeeP sloPe 7 To NorThsTar road site Plan

50m

ground floor

16 13

9 16

7 5 6

4 3

10m

05/12 canadian architect

governor generalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medal winner

linear house

Project Linear House, saLt spring isLand, BritisH CoLumBia architect patkau arCHiteCts inC. Photos James dow

Linear House is located on a 16-acre farm on Salt Spring Island, an island in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia. The property is bisected from east to west by a long row of mature Douglas fir trees. The south half of the site is an orchard containing fruit trees; the north half of the property is a hay field. There was an existing cottage on the property which was sold and relocated to a

48 canadian architect 05/12

neighbouring property. The existing barn, garage and studio buildings remain. The row of large Douglas fir trees stabilizes oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experience by providing a place to stand, to be next to, and to locate position in the open fields. The trees themselves are textural, old, torn and windswept. They force the realization of the time of the site, of its existence over many years. They have a kind of old heart, and the impulse to site the new house next to these figures was both intuitive and immediate. The new house extends 276 feet in a straight line in the narrow space between the fir trees to

the north and the orchard to the south. The orchard has been made more regular with additional fruit trees so that the clarity of the juxtaposition between the cultural landscape of fruit trees to the south, and the line of native fir trees to the north, is reinforced. The full extent of the house is never directly experienced from the exterior. The experience is of a dark stealth-like figure sliding in and out behind the screens of trees on either side. At a parting of the fir trees, the length of the house is subdivided by a breezeway into a principal dwelling and then guest quarters. Due to its cladding of charcoal-coloured fibre-

cement panels, the house is rendered almost invisible when seen against the dark foliage of the firs. Interiors are described by a luminous inner lining made of translucent acrylic panels. Over 40 fixed and operable acrylic skylights bring sunlight into the roof and wall assemblies during the day, causing the interior liner to glow softly and irregularly. At night, fluorescent lights mounted within the skylight openings turn the entire interior into a luminous field. Areas within this overall luminous surround are subdivided by reinforced concrete fireplace masses and wood cabinet-like service spaces. Large glazed openings extending up to 78 feet, along with 28-foot cantilevered roof canopies at either end of the house, are supported by a pair of six-footdeep composite wood beams on each long building face. The numerous top-hung sliding aluminum glazed door panels are suspended

3 5

Floor Plan 1 kitCHen/dining 2 Living room 3 master Bedroom

from these beams. Given the prolonged fair weather in Salt Spring Island, the panels are fully retractable so that the house can be transformed into an open-air pavilion, more shelter than house proper. jury: As an innovative contemporary variation on the pavilion in the landscape, this is an immensely compelling and dramatic example of domestic architecture. The linear form powerfully demarcates the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence in the landscape, framing and defining views along its length, while the sides open up to blur the distinction between inside and out, connecting the occupants both visually and experientially with nature. Skillfully realized in terms of materials, spatial quality and the play of light, it is a sophisticated and sensitive reworking of the classic rural retreat. ca

oPPosite, clocKwise From toP tHe Linear House rests unoBtrusiveLy in its wooded isLand setting; tHe Brooding and grapHiC west eLevation; tHe House transforms into an open-air paviLion via retraCtaBLe gLazed door paneLs. aBove tHe extreme Linearity and seamLess fLow of tHe House is experienCed from tHe starkLy minimaList kitCHen/dining area.

client witHHeLd architect team greg BootHroyd, CHristina gray, steffen knaB, Hiro kurozumi, renee martin, JoHn patkau, patriCia patkau, peter suter structural read Jones CHristoffersen Ltd. enveloPe spratt emanueL engineering Ltd. contractor g-speed ConstruCtion Ltd. area 3,500 ft2 Budget witHHeLd comPletion 2009

1 6

4 master ensuite 5 offiCe 6 guest Bedrooms & wasHroom

0 0

20â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

20 ft

05/12 canadian architect

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calendar cOntact 2012

May 1-30, 2012 Exploring the theme of “public,” this annual month-long festival of photography in Toronto features over 1,000 local, national and international artists exhibiting at almost 200 venues. http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com doors Open toronto

May 26-27, 2012 Doors Open 2012 looks back over the past 200 years to reveal the fascinating personalities who shaped Toronto’s architecture and history. More than 135 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings will open their doors for the weekend and highlight the people who built this city. www.toronto.ca/doorsopen/ construction law Update toronto

the tools to master the legal complexities of any project to avoid pitfalls, accomplish objectives, and increase profitability. www.constructionlawonline.ca extreme Makeover—Whole Building retrofits

June 5, 2012 This breakfast session takes place from 7:30am to 10:00am at the Four Seasons Vancouver, and brings together building owners and experts from building sciences, architectural design, engineering, operations, and management to discuss one of the great challenges facing the aging building sector in the 21st century. http://marketinsights2012.eventbrite. com 4th annual transforming & revitalizing downtown Summit

June 6-7, 2012 This event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Hamilton May 30, 2012 This intensive one-day provides inspiring case studies to construction law conference on at stimulate ideas for vibrant downthe Toronto Don Valley Hotel & SOPREMA_PubSopraRock-CanadianArchitect.pdf 1 12-02-22 3:07 PM towns. Hear leading practitioners Suites will provide attendees with

discuss innovative approaches to enhancing liveability in municipalities of all sizes. www.revitalizingdowntowns.net canadian institute’s Forum on collaborative Project delivery

June 6-7, 2012 This conference at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver offers key insights and practical tools that companies need to optimize collaboration in construction projects in order to minimize risk, costs and delays. www.canadianinstitute.com/projectdelivery caGBc national conference and expo

June 11-13, 2012 With this year’s theme of “Beyond Buildings: The Green City,” the conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre will explore where green building is headed by looking at how to implement sustainable design and operations on a grander scale. www.cagbc.org/2012conference

2012 raic Festival of architecture

June 13-16, 2012 Taking place in St. John’s, Newfoundland and with the theme of “Deep Roots in a New Energy City,” this year’s conference is an opportunity to engage in professional development and to network with others interested in the multifaceted world of architecture. www.raic.org reimagining Ontario Place workshop

June 14, 2012 This workshop at the Design Exchange in Toronto concerns both designing “experiences” and focusing on challenges that non-profit organizations have with engaging the public. Cost is $50 per workshop ($40 for DX members). www.dx.org/workshops FormoreinFormationabout these,andadditionallistingsoFCanadianandinternationalevents,pleasevisit www.canadianarchitect.com

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05/12canadian architect

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AlessiA soppelsA

VAnessA grAhAm

concrete ideas

A recent Architecture grAduAte reflects upon the chAllenges presented by A design studio speculAting on the quAlities of concrete used in brutAlist buildings. teXt

AlessiA soppelsA

The images I had excitedly anticipated in Nervi’s organic lines, Kahn’s monumentality, and Scarpa’s details quickly dissipated as we were asked to respond to the virtues of 1960s and ’70s Brutalist buildings in Toronto. Had not the presence of these dull, grey masses slipped into our urban subconscious? Why now shine the proverbial spotlight on them? To question and evaluate the current cultural status of concrete in light of technological advancements in the material would be a valid reason. Toronto’s stock of Brutalist buildings became the backdrop and context against which—as an architectural design studio—we would hypothesize and experiment. Could a more self-conscious aestheticization of concrete as a material used in infrastructure, building, or simply surface, break down our preconceptions about the value of this useful substance? Solid. Real. Definite. These words define and describe concrete as both material and adjective. How could something evoking a strong physical 54 canadian architect 05/12

presence simultaneously represent visionary ideals? The rawness of the Brutalist buildings we studied exposed themselves for what they were: dependants of their formwork. With curious eyes, we set out to photograph, document and capture this concrete aesthetic by focusing on particular details. Through our ensuing exercises in visual abstraction, these buildings underwent a transformation where heavy masses became expressive fields. What would happen if we exaggerated some of the visual aspects of the seemingly banal concrete details to question, challenge and inspire new potentials for this humble material? For example, the precast panels of the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto fascinate me. The unrelenting ribbed vertical panels of this hotel dutifully fulfill their task of shedding water, yet the fine-grain texture of the concrete, coupled with the corduroy-like quality of the panels, acquire a real warmth upon closer inspection. When I used Photoshop to visually introduce a horizontal set of ribs, a woven surface began to emerge, which instantly attained a hand-crafted appearance. As others in the design studio similarly discovered, these investigations were not intended to restore or improve, but to inspire us to rethink the value of concrete for future projects.

VAnessA grAhAm’s digi tAlly mAnipulAted imAge of the medicAl sciences building At the uniVersity of toronto plAys with the concept of delAminAtion; AlessiA soppelsA photo grAphed the sherAton centre, then re imAgined its ribbed exterior As A woVen concrete surfAce.

aBoVe, LeFt to riGht

The concentration of Brutalist buildings in Toronto thus became the testing ground for visual experimentations through Photoshop manipulations. The visual documentation, questions and speculations that were produced in the studio were assembled into a school publication entitled Concrete Ideas: Material to Shape a City, which contains essays from notable architects and theorists that challenge us to reconsider the cultural status of concrete—once considered cold and inhospitable—as a much more supple material. ca Alessia Soppelsa was one of the managing editors of Concrete Ideas: Material to Shape a City, a book produced alongside the similarly named design studio led by Pina Petricone at the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. The book is available though Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers.

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teknion 2012. ÂŽ trademarks of teknion corporation and/or its subsidiaries or licensed to it. in canada call 416.661.3370. in the usa call 877.teknion

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